Hero
by Aster Lawrence
Summary: Seeing the dark in this world is so easy. It takes someone special to live in the dark yet envision all the light. We often struggle to avoid change, but later on we realize that change is exactly what we need. And only the resolve to fight can change the present. The mystery of the Walls unravels, revealing the dark secrets of mankind.
1. Chapter 1

**- Prologue -**

Notes:

"Speech."

'_Thoughts_'.

"_Emphasis in speech_."

3DMG = 3 Dimensional Maneuver Gear.

* * *

A gentle wind swirled lazily across the meadow they were currently resided in. The scorching afternoon sun shined on lush green vegetation, the shadow of trees was the only shelter from the blistering heat.

Lionel stared down his opponent, breathing heavily, all his energy spent. His body was shaking, bathed in sweat. His wavy, chestnut hair was plastered against to his neck due to perspiration, a few drops sliding down his fair face.

His opponent leapt without warning and immediately launched a barrage of well coordinated and clean attacks. He skidded to the side to get below his assailant's punch. He prepared to attack from the right but the same arm recoiled and swept in his direction, causing him to bend his head swiftly to avoid being knocked.

As the fist swept over the side of his face, his feet were knocked off the ground by a simultaneous kick. Lionel did a 180 degree turn in the air, landing on the back of his cranium.

"You're pathetic as usual," his mother commented, her pretty amber eyes looking in to her son's, who shared the same colour. "You just never learn. You can't win without trying to hit back."

Sophie Sorenson was a Corporal in the Stationary Guard, but even she was unable to teach her son the basics of hand-to-hand combat. The slender woman tied her loose brown hair into a ponytail and wiped the sweat from her face and neck with a white handkerchief.

"You're unfair. How can I win when you always go all out on me? I'm only ten," Lionel said lamely. His mother puffed her cheeks childishly.

"Hey! It's you who doesn't pay attention when I'm teaching; otherwise you would know what to do and how to counter. We've being doing the same thing for a week now."

Lionel shifted his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at her face. He was still sprawled on the ground, seemingly incapable of scrambling to his feet. His mother frowned. Maybe she was a bit harsh on him during their spars.

"Hey, how about we only practice with 'blades' tomorrow?" She asked, plopping herself on the ground next to him. Blades were wooden sticks Sophie used to teach Lionel the movements for the 3DMG.

"That would be nice." She could hear the smile in his voice.

"Mom, do you think I can make it to the Royal Guard?" He asked abruptly.

"You can do anything you can put your mind to. The King would be proud to have you under his orders." She brushed his hair away from his forehead, using the other side of the handkerchief to wipe his face, only for him to squirm away.

"Don't baby me, mom!" he protested. Sophie giggled at her son's antics.

"Well then, enough rest. Let's go home." She ruffled his hair. Lionel tried to swat her hands away and ended up slapping his own head. Wearily, he heaved himself off the ground and dusted of his clothes; a dark blue shirt and trousers, the ones he always wore for training. His mother wore the same kit.

Lionel's home was located at a distance from the busy Shiganshina market. It had only two rooms, a bed room and a living room. There was a counter in the living room served as the kitchen, with a sink and a stove.

Lionel plopped down in one of the wooden chairs placed in the centre of the room, exhausted. Their training spot was nearly 3 miles away and his mother insisted they run.

"Take a bath first. I'll prepare some tea." Sophie ordered. The lad groaned as he got up while she poured water into a pan and placed it on the burning stove.

By the time he returned, he was dressed in a fresh black shirt and trouser, and there were two cups of tea placed on a small table.

His mother smiled as he sat down next to her, a steaming china-cup near her lips.

"Won't you take a bath as well, mom?" He asked as he took the cup in both hands, gently blowing on the tea.

"After I finish my tea. So tell me, how is school going?"

"It's boring. All they teach is about the walls and the royal family. Everyone else seems to love it."

"Why, don't you want to serve under the king?"

"Well, it would be a great honour but..."

"But?"

"It's way inside the walls." Lionel looked away, feeling his mother's gaze as she stared at him.

"What's so great about the outside anyway? Trust me, there's only tragedy and loss. It's better to help people than to kill Titans," She said after a while.

"I wasn't exactly talking about the Titans...Mom, what are the Titans like?" Lionel asked.

"Well, they just eat the humans. Everyone thinks they can face them, but they all run away. Only those with a death wish fight, and if they're lucky, they can get a kill or two before dying themselves. Now, did you make any friends?" She changed the subject.

"Well, Thomas and his pals say they want to hang out with me, but every time I do, they leave me to find someone they don't like. So I've stopped trying to make friends."

"It's good that you don't hang out with them, but what about other kids?"

"They're all older or younger. And they think I'm still carrying some sort of disease," Lionel muttered. When they had arrived in Shiganshina, Lionel fell ill for about a year. He would get high fever recurring chills.

Sophie had to watch helplessly as her only son would toss the covers off and pull them on repeatedly as she would put a wet rag on his head, until someone told her about Doctor Grisha, whose instructions and medicines made him get well within a month.

"Well, you should tell them you don't," Sophie retorted, slightly worried.

"As if I haven't tried. They don't believe me, especially after Falco died. He croaked because of the plague, not me." Lionel scoffed.

"Don't talk about your best friend like that after his early departing." Sophie scolded him with the look in her eyes. The 'mom' look, Lionel called it.

They talked for some more time until Sophie finished her tea before heading off to for her bath. By the time she came out, Lionel was taking a nap, a book he was reading acting as his pillow.

It was only 2 o'clock, but she tucked her son in beside herself in her bed, deciding to rest herself as well to prepare for her evening shift.

* * *

It was late in the evening that Sophie shook her son awake.

"What?! Mom?!" He opened his eyes to the hazy image of her beautiful face.

"No time to explain. Wear your shoes." His head was still fuzzy and he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He quickly put his socks and shoes on and sprang up. It was then he noticed his mother was in her uniform. Even the 3DMG was strapped.

"What's going on?" He asked as she took out a few gold coins from beneath the bed she had saved and thrust them into the pocket of his shirt.

"You're going to be evacuated dear. There's no time." She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the house, anxiety running high in her mind. Sophie only hoped it didn't show on her face as they took to the street, running.

"Mom! Look!" She paid to no attention to him and ran towards the interior, hoping to reach the inner boundary of the wall, behind which the ships were located. There were masses of people doing the same.

Lionel turned his head to look back once more, his pupils dilating in fear. He ran along his mother as fast as his now trembling legs carried him.

'_What the hell is that thing? Just what the hell damn it! It's looking over the freaking wall!_' He screamed in his mind.

There was a huge impact, an explosive sound followed by debris falling down on Shiganshina, destroying houses and trampling people in its wake.

"Hang on!" His mother shouted over the roars of the crowd as she scooped him in her arms and used her 3DMG to navigate through the panicking hoard of people by using above buildings. Her feet soon touched the ground near the inner entrance of Wall Maria.

"Get your shit together! The wall's been breached!" She screamed over the Garrison soldiers stationed there. "Get the goddamn cannons ready and open the gate! Ready the evacuation fleet! We've got every person in Shiganshina heading here!"

"Yes ma'am!" the men wearing the same uniform as her set to work, blaming any entity they knew of in their minds. There was the sound of gears turning and metallic clangs as the gate with the symbol of Wall Rose was lifted up by heavy chains.

Lionel watched, stunned, unable to speak. Sophie motioned some soldiers on top of the wall and a flare was lighted, followed by the loud ringing of a bell.

"How many of you are present?" Sophie yelled. A clean-shaven man with wispy hair stepped forward.

"There are about fifty men down nearby, probably helping the citizens evacuate and ten more on above the walls. Another twenty as of now are behind the wall readying the boats!" He replied.

"Fine..." Sophie rubbed her forehead, thinking of a strategy. The first influx of people had already reached them. They were already running through the gates, and flocking near the port.

"Our main priority is the evacuation of people! Tell them to abandon all of their luggage! Ready a messenger to dispatch on the first boat you send. Try to calm the people once they get here. They'll be provided on their arrival. What's important is that no one among _us _panics; is that clear!?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Those which are up for combat follow me! You!" She pointed to the man who had replied her before. "You're in charge of the people here. I doubt there will enough boats for everyone, so I supposed you know what to do. Or should I spell it out?" She spoke through gritted teeth.

"Understood, ma'am." It was the harsh reality, but both of them knew what was necessary.

"Uh, what do _I _do?" Lionel asked her, tugging at her hands. A few soldiers looked at him in surprise, but hurried off to their duties.

"You all," she addressed those ready for combat. "See if there are some people still trapped. Do not, and I repeat, _do not_ foolishly engage the Titans. Secure the people. Search around areas where the rubble from the wall landed. Go!" The men saluted, before springing off with their 3DMG.

Alone with her son now, Sophie then turned around and kneeled to Lionel's level, her hands on his.

"Listen carefully to me Lion," she said quietly, her voice sweet and soothing. "You must get on one of the boats and escape." The look on his face turned to disbelief.

"What about you, mom?!" He nearly screamed, his eyes stinging. No, his mother wouldn't leave him here, would she?

"I have to stay behind and see if any of the people are trapped. I'm in charge. Someone has to be. You understand, right dear?"

She took a breath to steady herself. She couldn't cry, not in front of him. His hands clasped around her wrist, their grip tightening as he spoke.

"But...you'll be left behind! Mom, just come with me! I'm not going without you!" Lionel sobbed even though he was trying not to cry. Now tears ran freely down his cheeks. His mother wasn't coming. Sophie smiled sadly and wiped his tears with her handkerchief.

Shrieks of terror filled the air. Despite herself, she turned around to confirm her worst suspicions. The Titans were advancing.

"Lionel, be strong. Escape now so you can live to fight another day. And remember, I love you." She wiped the newly formed droplets of salty water that leaked from his eyes with her thumb and as the child stifled his crying. There was so much going through her mind, words she wanted to say, but she couldn't.

"Mom, please..." He looked up and his forlorn eyes broke her heart. She pulled him closer, embraced him as she allowed her own tears to fall. Quickly, she wiped them off before letting him go.

"Mom, wait!"

"Oi! If you're done readying the cannon then make sure he gets on a boat!" She screamed to soldier who was inspecting the hull of the weapon. He got up at once.

"Yes ma'am!" He grabbed Lionel's arm. "Let's go."

"Mom, don't! Mom, please! Mom, let me stay!" He yelled, desperate to convince her otherwise. More tears ran down his face, wetting the ground below. The mother turned away from her distraught son. The man tried to pull him away, but Lionel tried to squirm out of his grasp.

"Drag him if you have to! Just make sure he lives!" She yelled, readying her stance and pulling out her blades. His wailing grew louder as the soldier pulled him with force, easily taking him away.

"Mom! Mom! I love you, mom! Don't die on me mom! Let me go!" Lionel tried one last time. He tried to bite the man but he just placed a rough hand on his mouth, squeezing his cheeks to stop his jaw from moving and hastened his pace.

"Mom..." the vision of her back was blurred by his tears, and slowly disappeared altogether. Sophie pulled a blade up to her eyes, watching his reflection go farther and farther way before they merged with the sea of people.

She blinked the final tears away from her eyes and charged, hoping to rescue any survivors that might be there.

Sophie knew her road ended here. The ships weren't enough for everyone and she would be willing to stay behind to fight to her death. She pulled the trigger, iron wires shooting out from her sides.

'_How ironic. Looks like I'll die fighting like you, Daniel._' She thought to herself, wondering how her son would react when he'd know of her death. Would it be like how she reacted when she was told about her husbands'?

Landing on a roof, she scanned the chaotic horizon. A few growls came from her right followed by a scream, and she sprang into action.

"_Lionel..._" Damn the Titans. Damn the world. Damn it all. _Damn it all to hell._

* * *

**Authors' Note: First of all, thanks for reading! as you can see, this story is OC centric. Rest assured, I spend a great deal of time creating OCs. This is just a prologue, a glimpse into the past of Lionel. Hope you liked it! drop me a review and some tips if you've got any ;) This will story will be long. I've thought of plenty of post-cannon things. And I'll probably recreate the system of the Military in detail. Until next time! -AL.**


	2. Dauntless

Hello again. Due to our (my beta and me) timezones this chapter was delayed. Still, I think the end product was worth spending all the time on. This is the start of the story and this chapter is really Slice Of Life. This chapter might bore you, but the story is going to be long and I need to set up a solid base. Brief reply to a review I got:

Randomguy: The prologue and this whole story will be written in third person. The prologue was the prelude to this story, not a flashback of Lionel. I also like the reader's to know what other characters may be thinking at some point. Now, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 1: Dauntless

It had been nearly two years since Wall Maria fell. Lionel Sorenson had lived at his Aunt Sophia's house in Schwarzkopf district at the time. She was a kind woman, his mother's elder sister who resembled her very much.

At the moment, he was having a satisfying breakfast which consisted of milk tea and bread with her while his uncle leafed through a newspaper.

Lionel could barely contain his smile as he dipped the bread in his tea.

"Lion, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that? Take a bite and then sip your tea after it like everyone else," Aunt Sophia said firmly from across the table. Lionel muttered something she couldn't hear as he bit into the loaf.

"So boy, when's it coming?" Uncle Kurt asked. He had myopic eyes and a fine brown mane with a thick beard and mustache. It was a Saturday, a day off from the clothing store that he and his wife worked at.

"When is _what_ coming?" The woman's eyes darted from her husband to her nephew as the former hid behind his newspaper and the latter choked on his bite.

"Nothing dearie, forget I said something," Kurt backpedaled hastily.

"It can't be nothing. Now Lionel, care to tell me?" The teen knew he was in trouble the moment she used his full name. He swallowed nervously and looked towards his uncle expectantly, waiting for him to explain.

The man sighed as he stopped reading, folding the broadsheet and taking off his spectacles, rubbing them with the cloth of his shirt.

"The boy's gonna enlist in the Military," Kurt said at last. There was a loud clatter of silverware as Sophia suddenly set her cup on the table, almost spilling the condiment it contained.

"No. No he won't." She glared at youth who had suddenly found the tea in his cup very fascinating.

"It's too late now. The call letter should be coming today." Kurt sighed as he put his glasses back on. "No way out of it now."

Sophia sank in her chair, rubbing her forehead. "God, why did you even help him do it?" She muttered, feeling a headache come on.

"I asked him to. I'm not going to just sit around and get a civilian job when I'm older," Lionel spoke at last. "Please Aunt, it means a lot to me."

"Do you want to get eaten by Titans that badly? Rethink this, Lion." She replied, worried.

"I won't get eaten. Back then, mom didn't let her fears get in her way and I can't stand fearing these Titans," Lionel answered quietly, looking her in the eye. He crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand, having finished his meal.

"Your mother was a brave woman, yes, but where did it get her? Down some monster's stomach. You can join when you've lived a little more." Lionel was visibly irritated at her response.

"I can't sit around waiting forever, Aunt. Days turn to years and year to decades. I can't be sure if I'll live or die, but it is want I to do with my life," He countered, closing his eyes.

"You can use your life to help other people instead of playing hero and slaying Titans." Sophia said sternly.

"I would rather do what I want." He retorted.

"I only want you to make the best choices, Lion. Choices you should make, not ones you want to make, sweetheart," She said softly. Lionel could feel that he had won.

"However," She continued. "I will always be against you joining the Survey Corps. Remember that well, boy. If you make it to the top ten, you sure as heck are going to the Royal Guard. Do I make myself clear?" Lionel felt her sharp gaze on him.

"We'll see..." He whispered.

"What was that? Speak louder." His aunt demanded.

"The boy says he wants to serve the King, dearie," Kurt intervened quickly. She looked a bit skeptical, but just shook her head.

"He's only twelve. Who'd think they grow up so fast?" She asked no one in particular. They had no children of their own and she was reluctant to let her surrogate son go.

There was a knock at the door. Lionel swiftly got up and ran. He came back moments later, a large brown envelope in his hands.

"Give it here, boy." His uncle put down the newspaper and extended his hand. Lionel complied and gave him the letter and the steel opener he had been carrying since morning. The only sound in the room was of paper being sliced.

"Ahem." Kurt cleared his throat, smoothing the paper out.

"It is stated that candidate Lionel Sorenson applied and has been accepted in the 104th Trainee Corps for military training. The candidate is to appear at the training camp on the 16th of July before 1900 HRS.

Failure to do so will result in termination of the candidate's name from the list and a ban on further applications will be implemented for 2 years on candidates' name. Sincerely, Head of Military, Dallis Zacklay." He finished.

Lionel took the paper from his hands and examined it. The paper was rough and coarse, everything type-written, and an elegant signature at the end of the page. On the back was location of the training camp.

"Well, I've only got two days before training begins," Lionel said thoughtfully. It was 15th of July. The distance to the training camp could be covered in a single day from where he lived. He could reach well before time if he left tomorrow.

"So, what will be included in your training?" His aunt inquired.

"Ah, well they will teach us how to use our 3DMG, use our blades and build our physical endurance. We'll also be taught theories." He replied.

"How long will you be gone?" She began to clear the table.

"Three years, after that I'll have to join a military organization."

"Mark my words boy, I'll wring your neck with my very own hands if you join those fools in the Scouting Legion." She warned darkly.

Lionel only laughed along with his uncle before heading to his room to pack his things. A pair of light pyjamas, two white cotton shirts and uniform pants, which would make a total of three including the one he would wear tomorrow.

He took out two thicker wool shirts and a jacket for winter and the necessary undergarments and socks. Lionel pondered for a while before tossing in a pair of extra boots as well.

It was around twelve by the time he finished sorting his things in his tough, four feet long bag.

"Lion! Come with me to the market if you're done." His Aunt called from the living room.

"Coming!" he checked his appearance in the mirror on the wall, lowering some bangs down on his forehead stylishly.

Sophia made sure to comb his hair herself before they headed out, much to his annoyance.

The market was basically a wide street with shops on both sides. Many people had rooms behind or above the shops in which they lived. All buildings were made of rock and concrete, long in height. Their structure was made by factoring in the 3DMG, much like all of the districts near the outer edge of the walls.

Many things piqued Lionel's interest. There were craftsmen of all trades, banners stuck outside naming from bakeries and food places to the tailors and barbers.

Vendors also pedalled fruit, vegetables, cooking tools, toys and many miscellaneous items on wooden carts in the streets.

He remembered how his mother wouldn't bargain on food items no matter what, how she would pay a bit more if the salesman (or saleswoman) had any children with them.

Sometimes, people would offer Lionel a treat or two, his mother complaining about them spoiling him just because Lionel would say he wanted to serve mankind with his childish appeal.

His chest felt tight as they walked past a mother and her son, his tiny hand wrapped around her finger, a look of glee on his face as he bit into a fresh apple.

Sophia noticed his discomfort and put an arm around his shoulder.

"We're here. Wait for a bit, sweetheart." She said. Lionel looked at the sign above; _Zeit n Beobachten_. '_A watch shop?_' he thought as he walked a few steps ahead and opened the wooden door for his aunt and waited as she went inside.

A few minutes later she came back, holding a cubic wooden box in her hands. "Hold this," she told him and walked away in the direction they had come from.

"Is this all?" Lionel asked, inspecting the thing. It was symmetrical, the lid held in place by a latch. "Don't you want to buy anything else?"

"We weren't here to buy anything," she replied mysteriously.

"Then what's this?" He shook the box and something rattled inside.

"Open it when you get home." Sophia said.

"It is a watch, I know it."

"We did go to a shop for watches."

"But you said you were not here to buy anything."

"I didn't. Just wait till we get home and you'll know." Lionel decided to keep quiet and just wait till they arrived at the house where his curiosity would be satisfied.

They made one more stop at his school for to inform about his withdrawal. It was afternoon by the time they returned.

Kurt was placing bowls of cabbage soup with carrots on the table.

"We're back." Lionel announced as they entered. "Welcome back. Sit down now, I've been waiting." Kurt said. "Go wash your hands first." Sophia cut in. "They are clean." Lionel muttered before running them through water in the living room's sink.

"I talked to someone I know. They'll take you to your camp tomorrow, so make sure to be up early," Kurt informed him as they slurped the simple soup.

"I see." Lionel replied. He was still eyeing the box from before. It was in front of him, yet he couldn't open it.

"Care to repeat what he said?" Sophia addressed him, noticing the vacant look on his face.

"He said to get up early so I can meet the person who shall take me to the training camp," he replied due to his great memory.

Kurt laughed lightly at his wife. "Just open it already," he urged. Lionel dropped his spoon in his bowl and quickly opened the box.

Inside was a watch like he knew, but he could tell it was special. The black needles were metallic, it moved smoothly instead of ticking. But the most important detail wasn't the steel bezel or the grey-coloured smooth leather straps.

On its' dial was the symbol of the Scouting Legion. The blue and white Wings of Freedom.

Kurt leaned over to inspect the watch. Surprised showed his face as he gently took the object from Lionel's grasp and looked at it.

"Where'd you find it?" He quietly asked his wife.

"A friend of mine saw it Stohess." Sophia explained. "She wrote to me about it, and I asked the watchmakers' wife Frieda if they could import one just like it."

"Wasn't it expensive?" Kurt asked, frowning a bit. "The one for the Scouting Legion wasn't. They stopped making those years ago. Lovely lady, Frieda is. Gave it to me as a present for Lion here, said she hadn't repaid me for her daughter's dress I sew."

"Err, is there something wrong?" Lionel asked, finally butting in their 'grown-up talk'.

"Nothing my boy," Kurt waved his hand and returned the watch. "Take great care of the watch. It's exactly like the one your father wore."

"I thought it looked familiar..." Lionel said to himself as he strapped it on. It fitted perfectly. He held his wrist up, gazing at the symbol drawn beneath the high-resistant glass.

"I love it. Thanks Aunty," Lionel rose from his seat and gave Sophia big bear-hug. "Just don't wear that symbol on your back," She cautioned, returning the embrace. The boy just smiled and said nothing.

In the past years, he had realized that people would rarely be worth saving. Even if they were forced to abandon all worldly desires and run for their lives, they would push each other back to get what they wanted.

How tragic it was; people still snuck things aboard the evacuation ships, and refused to toss them out to help accommodate another person on the ship. Because of the selfish people, the good suffered.

Lionel pulled away and helped to clear the dirty dishes. Kurt enjoyed a good old game of chess with his nephew as his wife washed the tableware.

"Check." Kurt called. Lionel didn't let the disappointment show on his face as he countered by moving a bishop in front of his king. This resulted in Kurt moving his own bishop across the board to take out the black one.

Lionel moved his king forward to avenge his fallen piece. Kurt smacked his head as he made a simple move with his queen, resulting in checkmate.

"Boy, it's the victory for the side that counts, not the victory over a single piece. Sacrifices are necessary to win. Don't leave your king open like that." He lectured.

"But," Lionel spoke softly as he moved a pawn to Kurt's end of the board, and marked it as a queen, causing another checkmate. "Even the king can be used as a sacrifice."

Kurt shook his head and laughed. "Very creative, but against the rules I'm afraid."

"There are no rules in the real world," Lionel remarked, a confident smirk on his face. "Is it a tie?" He asked.

"Probably." Kurt replied and they reset the board. They played for the remainder of the afternoon, Kurt mentoring the boy about battle strategies and hinting how they could be applied in the military. Lionel managed to win a couple of times and even acquired a streak of seven consecutive victories.

"I think you've levelled our record with this. The next bout will decide who's in the lead," Kurt said as he noted some figures in an old diary.

Evening came, and Lionel wandered around the town, taking in the sights. Wall Rose's interior was more advanced than Maria's. There were gas lamps on the streets, smaller meadows and fewer trees.

He passed over a small bridge, just one of the many that passed over the river which flowed throughout Schwarzkopf in a circular path. He watched his distorted reflection in the water below, his eyes reminding him of his mother.

'_I wonder if you would you be proud of me, mom?_' he thought. Lionel walked on, continuing his sightseeing stroll. In the time he had lived here, he hadn't made many friends to say goodbye to.

The sun began to descend from the horizon, being covered by the wall. Shadows began to spread and Lionel glanced at his watch. His feet began to lead him towards home, and he broke into a short run when people began lighting the lamps.

He arrived late, panting a little but Sophia let it slide. This was his last night after all. She was going all out in the preparations for dinner, and Lionel gladly helped.

"Aunty, are you really okay with me going?" he asked her as she put the cake dough in the stone oven to bake.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts now. I'll be fine as long as you don't join the suicidal branch," She said steadily, fanning herself with her hands to get rid of the heat from the oven.

"Oh." He rested his chin on the back of his hand. "I wonder what the inside of Wall Sina is like though." He thought out loud. Sophia's eyes visibly relaxed.

"I bet it's wonderful. Maybe one day, when you're a high ranking officer, you'll get a house there and call for us, sweetheart."

Later that night, after he had enjoyed the wonderful cake, fruit salad and milk, Lionel lay awake, staring into space. He got in bed as soon as he was finished with his duties in order to wake up early for tomorrow's travel.

His eyes wandered to the trainee uniform that lay spread out on the dresser. He didn't know when, but he fell asleep to a peaceful slumber, despite the tormenting thoughts that tried to force their way into his mind.

But they couldn't. The past was the past. It was just as simple as that.

* * *

"Ready kiddo? What's your name?" The man asked as he shifted some of the load to create space for Lionel in his cart.

"Lionel Sorenson." He said, a duffel bag containing his possessions slung over his shoulder. He was wearing a black cloak which hid his uniform beneath it.

"Sorenson eh? Unusual name. I'm called Dmitri Elmar." Dmitri was a sturdy man with straight black hair, stubble and long legs. "Isn't Kurt up yet?" He asked.

"Not yet. He usually wakes up after seven." Lionel replied.

"Eh, so you're not gonna say goodbye to them?" Dmitri was an old acquaintance of Kurts'. He was a trader for livestock feed, so he spent most the time travelling. He was seeing Lionel for the first time.

"Well, Sorenson, I say you wake them up now," the older male grinned as he held up a bucket of grass and hay for his horse to eat.

"I've left letters for them at the table." Lionel responded, setting his bag on the cart between some sacks of whatever Dmitri was transporting so it wouldn't fall. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"We've got a long way to go; I think you might wanna get some sleep when we reach outside of Schwarzkopf. It'll be the smoothest road in the entire ride." Dmitri advised.

"I hope so." Lionel muttered, irritated. It had been half an hour past four when Dmitri came knocking and he had to get out of his comfortable bed in great haste to stop him from waking the whole house up.

They set off when the Shelly, Dmitri's horse had been fed. She was a strong animal, her hoofs kicking up dust as they went about the otherwise silent town.

The guards at the outer gates were groggy and let them through after a brief inspection of the cotton bales stuffed inside the sacs and one of them encouraged Lionel, seeing his watch.

Outside of Schwarzkopf was huge meadow with towering trees growing at a distance from each other. People lived in small villages between the developed towns and cities inside wall Rose.

Lionel wrapped his cloak tighter around himself due the cold morning wind he was experiencing from the moving cart. He closed his eyes and fell asleep again, despite the rocking transport.

"Wake up, Sorenson." Dmitri grabbed his shoulder and shook him awake. Lionel inhaled deeply and rubbed his eyes, wincing as the rays of the sun hit his irises harshly.

"Have we arrived?" He asked, loosening his cloak and getting off the cart.

"Not yet. We're taking a stop to eat." Dmitri said. "I didn't get breakfast, and you could also use an extra bite. Who knows what the camp food tastes like?" he grinned slightly, scratching his stubble.

Lionel checked the time. It was ten. '_We rode for about five hours._' He calculated mentally, glancing at the horse. He took off his cloak and tossed it in the cart.

Dmitri had tied Shelly and the cart in the shade of a huge tree. In front of them was a village; some folk had gathered around to watch as the pair approached them.

While Dmitri talked with an elderly man with a balding head and white beard, probably something about trading some of his merchandise for a meal, a group of children gathered around Lionel.

"Bro, you going for training?" a boy asked. He was a head shorter than him and had red hair with freckles on his bony face.

It was then he realized that people were staring at him because of his uniform. He looked around and felt very awkward, feeling the gaze of people on him.

"Uh, yes I am." He replied to the boy. "Cool! I can't wait till I go!" The redhead balled his hands into fists in excitement.

Lionel said nothing, awkwardly waiting for Dmitri to do something. He was relieved when he heard him call.

"Sorenson! Get over here!" the teen nodded to the crowd of children that had gathered around him and hurried up to the trader.

"We got a deal here. Go and get me two bundles." He pointed with a finger to his cargo. Lionel followed, and retrieved two units of the neatly bundled cotton.

The followed the man who was talking to Dmitri to his house, where Lionel set the cotton down. They were seated at a small table and an old woman, plainly dressed, came out and placed two plates of food in front of them.

"Eat dears." She said kindly. "My husband will be back shortly, he's getting the money out." She spoke to Dmitri.

"Money?" Lionel whispered. "A simple meal isn't enough to pay for those, you know." Dmitri retorted. While they ate, the old man came back and handed some silver and bronze coins to him. When last morsel had been consumed, Dmitri rose to his feet.

"Let's go." He ordered. "Thanks a lot for the food." Lionel bowed slightly. "Good luck in your training son." His host's wife prayed.

Dmitri suggested they rest on the cart for a bit to wait for the food to settle before setting out again. He fed his horse again. At eleven o'clock, they set out again.

This time, they made no stop. Lionel kept checking his watch and observing his surroundings. An hour later, they reached a fork.

"This is it, Sorenson. We'll have to part from here. If you take the left, you'll reach the camp in half an hour."

"I thought you would drop me at the camp." The boy folded his cloak and shoved it into his duffel bag before slinging it over his shoulder.

"Well Sorenson, I did what I could. Not everyone'll out of their way to help others. Remember that." He told the thirteen year old. The lad nodded and jumped off.

"Thanks for everything!" He yelled as the trader took off, his horse blowing up dust again. He raised a single arm in the air, a sign of parting.

The path to the camp was stony and without soil, levelled by all the transport and people who had used it throughout the years.

Lionel stretched his limbs for simple warm-up. Safely tying the bag to his back, he broke out into a run, having grown faster over the years due to continuous training.

The scenery around him changed to blur as he sped on. He was reminded of how his mother would always force him to run against his will, falling behind him to make sure he ran ahead.

"If I catch you, I'll sort you out!" She would say, encouraging Lionel to run for his life. Subconsciously, he glanced back, but his vision was only met with the trees and grass he had passed. He mentally scolded himself for his actions before solely focusing on keeping his pace.

The hot afternoon sun shone down on the training camp, the heat waves distorting Lionel's view.

The camp was built inside a huge a canyon, a sudden drop some few hundred feet from the rest of the area surrounding it. Two slanting roads connected the land above to the gorge below, intersecting each other at the base in the form of a cross. A forest of huge trees covered the horizon behind the camp.

The sky was yellow with heat as Lionel made his way down the sloping path. He looked at his watch to check the time, but then took it off; he didn't want people to automatically assume he was going into the Scouting Legion.

There were four buildings in the camp and a stable. The two on either sides of the canyon were dorms, separate for the boys and girls. In the middle was the main building besides which were the horses. On the left side of the main building was another big storing shed for various purposes.

He trudged towards the largest structure in front of him, his clothes sticking to his sweaty body. There were no people, nor would he expect them outside in the scorching heat of July. Inside, however, was another story.

Quite a number of teenagers occupied the wooden benches, their luggage adjusted on the tables in front of them. Lionel gulped slightly as nearly all eyes turned towards him and excited whispering broke out.

Everyone was dressed in plain clothes. No, not all, for Lionel spotted another boy and girl dressed up as well and immediately went over to their place, ignoring everyone else as he walked by them.

The boy had brown hair and turquoise eyes while the girl's oriental features struck out. A loose red scarf hung around her neck. He noticed another boy, a blond not in uniform, sitting opposite to them. He tapped his hand on the empty space next to him and Lionel sat down, placing his bag besides his feet.

"So, no one told you guys either that we weren't supposed to wear uniforms today?" He asked the three of them.

"Well, I thought everyone ought to be wearing them." The brunette replied. He seemed rather irritated. Lionel looked towards the girl.

"Since Eren is wearing one..." She trailed off, her face stoic. "You're Eren?" Lionel asked the boy across him who nodded.

"Eren Jaeger." He introduced himself.

"Lionel Sorenson."

"Mikasa Ackerman." The girl spoke, her monotonous voice piquing his interest.

"Armin Arlelt." The boy next to him spoke. Lionel turned towards him quickly, embarrassed that he had forgotten about him.

"Hi. You're not wearing a uniform?" he questioned.

"No, I did suggest to them that there wasn't any need to." Armin smiled wryly as he looked towards the other two.

"Hey, the letter didn't say not to wear our uniforms." Eren shot back. "Do you guys know each other?" Lionel asked amused at Eren's reaction.

"We're childhood friends, though Mikasa and Eren are foster siblings." Armin explained.

"I see." Lionel nodded, looking at Eren, then Mikasa. "So, what are we sitting here for?" he asked Armin.

"Eh, I don't really know." He replied nervously. Just then, there was a loud rapping noise.

"Pay attention, all of you!" A man's voice boomed across the place, and they all jumped at the noise. The owner of the voice stood on top of a table. He was tanned, had cropped golden hair and steely brown eyes.

"I am your Instructor, Alois Veit. Your Chief Instructor will greet you tomorrow morning, but for now, all of you have chores to do."

"Chores?" Someone asked. Alois descended from the table and walked between them, grouping people together and barking orders for them in no time.

There were dorms to be cleaned, horses to be fed, water to be drawn and stored, sacks of wheat to be grounded for making flour and repairs to be made in their classrooms.

All in all, Alois was making sure that their scratch supplies were turned into something usable. It was standard procedure at the start of each month.

Water for bathing, cooking and drinking, was stored in several barrels after they brought it from the freshwater stream located in the forest behind. The flour for bread was stuffed into leathery sacks after the wheat had been grinded and stored in a shed. A few pieces of wood and nails made the used equipment inside the dorms more durable.

The four of them, Armin, Eren, Mikasa and Lionel had been tasked with making the flour. After getting three sacs like everyone else from the storage shed, the boys hauled a stone mortar to the side to work.

They all took turns. Two would sit on opposite sides and swing the heavy stone disc while a third person poured the wheat and the fourth refilled the empty sack with the grinded product.

The first sac was grinded by Eren and Lionel as they furiously spun the handle on top of the disc after Mikasa had poured the grains.

"This is...actually...fun." Lionel said between short breaths. They had been at it for an hour or so. While Eren had been going at it fiercely in the start, he had slowed down. Lionel still kept his moderate pace.

"Eren, you can let me do it if you're tired." Mikasa offered for the umpteenth time.

"Knock it off Mikasa! I'm not a kid who can't finish his chores by himself!" Jaeger still had the energy to argue with her every ten minutes though and sped up.

"Guys, I think you're done. Slow down." Armin interrupted. Lionel exhaled deeply and stopped. After a few more spins the disc stopped. Armin put his hand inside and examined the whitish powder and rubbed it between his thumb and fingers.

"Seems okay." He opened a latch located on the outer side of the mortar and positioned the sac to deposit the flour that came out.

They switched with each other then, Mikasa spinning way too fast for Armin. The last sac was done by Mikasa and Eren while Armin and Lionel just shook their head at the foster sibling's antics.

"Let's slow down if you're tired Eren."

"Stop treating me like a little child Mikasa!" Eren clenched his teeth, the muscles in his arms burning from the effort. Mikasa suddenly began to spin faster than Eren.

"What the- Mikasa!" Eren tried to grab the handle on top of the disc or at least hit it as it went by to contribute.

"Mikasa stop it!" Several drops of sweat rolled down her face but she didn't give in to Eren's demands.

"Mikasa!"

"All done." She said, slowing down. Eren could only grit his teeth angrily as he filled with the sac with the freshly grounded flour. He then piled all three sacs together and tried to lift them up unsuccessfully.

Suddenly he stood up, but his face turned sour when he realized he was only carrying two.

"Mikasa..." he began darkly but was surprised to see it was Lionel who had taken it. Well, better him than Mikasa.

"I could use some physical effort, seeing as I rarely work out." Lionel said as they walked towards the storage shed, Mikasa and Armin trailing behind.

Lionel hadn't spent time with people his age for a long period. They hadn't really talked about each other yet, but he felt like they could be friends and planned to get to know them better.

Everyone was gathering in the main ground after accomplishing their tasks, lining up in front of Alois, who had an announcement to make.

"Pay attention all of you! We don't have enough beds for all of you, and I expect you all to be grateful for any space you might get to sleep tonight. However," A smirk made its way across his face. "I doubt that will be the case three days from now."

There were questions being passed around between them, eventually reaching Alois' ears. He parried them deftly but firmly.

"Decide it among yourselves who'll use the dorms and who'll kip in the hall. However, I'd like to see if someone tries to remove someone else already occupied space. Make do with it for now." Everyone retreated to the central building for resting and continued the conversations they were having after deciding their sleeping arrangement.

The sun had already begun to go down when Alois came into the main hall again to ask those who could cook for assistance. More than a dozen girls stood up, the guys shot down by the instructors' glare. It wasn't as if he didn't know what they were up to; he was a man as well.

"There were some boys who came in uniforms. Come forward!" Alois commanded. Lionel and Eren got up uncomfortably and presented themselves in front of him.

"Light up the torches and get up the watchtower when you're done. I'll call you when the food is ready. You'll find the things you need at the base of the tower. Now get on with it!"

They boys nodded and hurried out before it became too dark to do the simple task they had been given.

"For a moment, I thought we were about to be congratulated." Lionel said sarcastically once they reached the centre of the ground.

"Glad we weren't made a laughing stock by that dude." Eren muttered, relieved that they only had to light the torches.

There were three wooden poles about the camp. They were about fifteen feet tall, thick as a tree, located at equal intervals at the entrance to the camp. The middle tower had a watch-post while the other two had flame torches.

Eren opened the small square door located at the bottom of the tower took out a box of matches. He took out three of them and handed them to Lionel, who observed them in dusk's light.

"We will have to be careful. These are not safety matches." He warned.

"Really?" Eren asked, taking one in his hands. The wood was thicker and longer than the ones used in homes and the head had a fair amount of phosphoric powder.

"I get it. We can just strike these off anywhere, right?" Lionel nodded and walked away to light a tower while Eren took care of the one they were standing near.

A ladder made from thick rope had been nailed to the side of the towers which made climbing possible.

Lionel heaved himself to the top of the circular platform quickly. In the centre was a large steel bowl, it's opening wider than its base. He looked inside and saw that had a large amount of oil in it.

There wasn't any sign of a gas apparatus anywhere and Lionel wondered what they did on rainy days. Sighing, he struck the match he was carrying by the heel of his boots and tossed it in carelessly.

He fell to the floor when it ignited with rapidly with the appearance of a huge flame, clutching his hot hand which had been closest to the fire.

"Damn. He could have given a warning at least. Jaeger, light it-" His shout was interrupted by Eren's yells as another torch lit up. 'Oh well.' He thought.

"Can't believe he didn't warn us beforehand," Eren groaned from below, his voice echoing as the teen descended.

"I suppose Alois wanted us to figure it out for ourselves."

"What the hell is this for, anyways?" Eren grumbled, dusting off his hands as they met up on the ground below.

"Perhaps the remaining instructors who we'll meet tomorrow will arrive at night," Lionel shrugged.

They kept complaining about their instructor who had some important nuts loose.

The sun had completely gone down by the time they reached their post atop the watchtower. The huge flames from the opposite ends of the camp illuminated the main ground and the entrance of the canyon. The ground floor of the main building was lit up; it's windows visible as yellow squares from far away.

There was enough space for Lionel and Eren to be comfortable in their round post. There was no roof, just a wooden railing about four feet tall. One would have to rely on common sense to manage their duties around the camp.

"Eren, where did you live before invasion of the Titans?" Lionel tried to start a conversation.

"Shiganshina." Eren answered, leaning on the railing. Lionel's eyes widened. "You?"

"I also lived in Shiganshina. But I was evacuated on the first ship out." Lionel said. Eren looked at Lionel, reading his face.

"Have you seen the Titans firsthand?" Eren spoke softly.

"I saw the Colossal Titan, but only him. I was evacuated on the first ship." Lionel explained as he looked up to the night sky.

"Your family?" Eren spoke quieter still, turning to see the stars which had started appearing increasingly. Lionel stiffened before responding.

"I've got an uncle and aunt in Schwarzkopf. Father died on a Scouting Legion mission while mother stayed behind in Shiganshina."

His last words were spoken bitterly. Eren turned to see his face, but it betrayed no emotions.

Lionel wore a mask like everyone, but the innocence in his guileless amber eyes shone through. He wanted to put an arm around his shoulder and tell him it was alright.

"Sorry. Back then, my mother fell victim to the Titans. I couldn't do anything at all." Eren murmured. Lionel visibly flinched.

"I couldn't stop my mother from her death. Guess we joined for the same reason." He raised an open hand towards the sky.

"I want to become strong enough to protect the ones I love and defeat my fears." Lionel resolved.

"Yeah!" Eren exclaimed in agreement. "I want to wipe out the Titans and see the world beyond the walls." He also raised a hand. They both laughed lightly as they formed fists and bumped the back of their hands together.

"I wonder if it is even possible. No, let us make it possible. It is a cruel world we live in and it is even crueller if you are alone." Lionel said quietly.

"You're right about that. I'm lucky I had Mikasa and Armin. I don't know what I would have done without those two." Eren agreed. He grew animated as he talked about their childhood exploits.

"And you, how did you spend time when you were a kid?" Eren asked, running his eyes over the camp for anything that would count as suspicious.

"Well, I grew up inside Wall Rose, moved outside to Maria because of parents' jobs in Shiganshina. I liked to climb the roofs and houses a lot. The thrill of jumping from one to the next, climbing to the highest one nearest to the sky, the views I saw, ah, I cannot use words to describe."

"You're one weird kid. You even arrived panting. Did you run all the way here?" Eren asked. He had been meaning to all the day but never found the opportunity. Lionel turned a bit red and sniffed his clothes.

"Why, do I smell? I always forget to bathe after exercise unless I am reminded." He said sheepishly.

"No, what's more of a bother is why you ran." Eren said.

"My mom always made me run, so I guess I felt like it after so many years, even though I hated it at first." Lionel confided.

"Your mom, huh? Why?" Eren asked.

"Fitness..." Lionel muttered, not wanting to talk about his parents. It wasn't just the fact that they were dead. He also didn't want anyone know they were _both_ once members of the Scouting Legion.

"And I am really fast at running. I can probably outrun a Titan!" He exclaimed after a short pause.

"I'd like to see you outrun _me_ first." Eren challenged.

"Well, we shall see-"

"Hey you two, where the hell are you looking? Get down here!" Alois's voice made them jump and they both yelled "Yes sir!" as they scrambled down in haste.

"Dinner's done. Get your sorry asses in there." Alois said sharply. It seemed cursing was a norm here, and Lionel would never get used to it. He then went off in some other direction, leaving the two alone.

"Say, how about now?" Lionel spoke.

"What?" Eren began walking.

"Let's have a race." Lionel began stretching on the ground.

"Heh, you're on." Wordlessly, Lionel crouched on the ground, Eren doing the same next to him. All was still in the velvet night as slight breeze blew and the clouds above shifted, increasing the moonlight on the ground.

"Ready?" Eren asked. Lionel nodded.

"Go!" Quick as lightning, both of them shot off. _'Ha! My preparations paid off. And it looks like I'm not the only one who's prepared_.' Eren thought.

His eyes were on the building ahead which drew closer with every step and he increased his step, getting ahead of Lionel. But he missed the smug smile which decorated the chestnut-haired boys' face.

Eren's eyes widened as Lionel leaped ahead with quick movements, sprinting dangerously low to the ground. And he only seemed to get faster.

Eren pushed himself further but the gap still increased until Lionel skidded to halt near the entrance to the main hall, Eren reaching him a few seconds later.

"You were pretty fast." Lionel remarked, feeling his toes burning from his skid.

"Are you freaking kidding me? Damn, I couldn't believe my eyes. Maybe you really can outrun a Titan." Eren grumbled.

"Running is all I can do. I think even Armin would beat me in a fight." Lionel sighed. Eren seemed to disregard his statement, still not able to get over his loss.

They both went inside. Mikasa and Armin had saved them plates, but they had to eat standing near their table since there wasn't enough space for everyone.

They had hot vegetable stew with made from cabbages, carrots, peas and water with a small loaf of freshly baked-bread. Apart from that, there was another bowl filled with water.

Lionel found it easier to talk to them now that he and Eren could call themselves friends. Armin nearly choked on his bite when Eren told him how fast Lionel was.

"You beat Eren? Before we came here he spent so much time training by himself. Man, I can't believe it. He was the fastest person I knew!"

Eren scoffed at the use of past tense in Armin's last sentence. The blond looked apologetic at his words. Mikasa was stoic as ever, but did talk with Lionel briefly. Eren told him it was normal for Mikasa to not talk much.

It seemed Alois was the only person in charge at the camp, for he had been supervising everything since they had arrived in the afternoon.

He showed up half an hour past dinner and made everyone collect their plates and kept watch on the group of guys who washed the dishes. In his mind, the girls had done the cooking and the guys who had wanted to help should do so by washing the dishes.

Alois Veit was exceptional at organizing, and his methods were very convenient. No one questioned his reasoning, and he seemed to know what person was suitable for what tasks just by looking at them.

He cleverly divided the boys and the girls into their dorm rooms and decided who would kip in the main hall. Lionel had to sleep in the main hall while Eren and Armin were in the dorm.

He stayed up, recollecting the events he went through the day. For the first time in a long time, he had had fun. Lionel closed his eyes. Perhaps his parents had the same experience.

* * *

Lionel yawned silently, struggling to keep awake and tried to keep his eyes open despite the morning sunlight which made him squint.

The thought of his training beginning had made him too excited to sleep all of a sudden and he was awake thinking of all kinds of different scenarios.

But then, there was this guy. Someone who would do well with soap in his mouth. Chief Instructor Keith Shadis.

Shadis was bald, aged, had dark circles around his hollow eyes and sported a goatee. He walked around glaring at everyone he passed by and when he addressed someone, everyone stood rooted to their spot, dreading the same thing happening to them as Shadis tore apart some hapless recruit.

Then the bald man walked ahead, satisfied by the fear he had instilled in shivering trainee in front of him. All trainees now knew who Connie Springer was, and his crime.

Everyone had to do an introduction before their Chief Instructor loudly.

Keith walked in slow strides, his hands tied behind his back. He stopped when he looked at Lionel's innocent face.

"What are you here for?" He barked in his face. Lionel made sure to make eye contact as he replied.

"To conquer my fears!" He yelled back just as loud. He could feel himself getting looks from others, but no hushed conversations from fear of Keith Shadis.

"Trash like you can only pee their pants and soil their uniforms when showed a picture of Titans! Only a cocky moron would think it's easy to be unafraid of Titans. A cocky moron just like you." Keith leered.

Lionel felt a shiver run down his spine but composed himself.

"I cannot know until I step forward." He replied steadily.

"I'll be surprised if a maggot like you can even manage to remember to run away." Keith spat before going on his way.

Lionel sighed in relief, cursing the instructor and all his generations to come.

'_My answer was so cool though._' He thought, disappointed. He hadn't made a good first impression, unlike Eren. The brunette had a fierce look on his face and seemed unfazed as the instructor passed by him.

"What is this?" Heads turned toward their instructor, the look on his face showing that he had lost all hope in the person he was talking to.

"A boiled potato, sir!" a high-pitched voice replied, making it clear it was a girl.

"And why are you eating this here, _now_?" '_Oh boy, she's so going to get it._' Lionel thought and tried to catch a glimpse of the girl from where he was standing.

"I-I was hungry, and it was j-just in the kitchen and looked s-so delicious and it was hot and boiled potatoes are best eaten h-hot." The girl was very nervous, even Lionel felt bad.

"What is your name?" Shadis asked dangerously.

"Sasha Blouse, sir!"

"You are dismissed right now. Keep running around the base until you faint. If you stop, skip all meals today! Get moving!"

"Yes sir!"

'_Is there not a limit to stupidity?_' Lionel watched as girl with reddish brown emerged from the crowd of trainees and began to run along the whole training camp.

The rest of the famous tradition of frightening the inexperienced teens and having them taste fear, proceeded without much eventful happenings compared to what had happened to Sasha.

It was late in the afternoon when everyone was dismissed by Shadis and was told to be ready in an hour for the Balance Test. Alois' suggestion that it should be done tomorrow fell on deaf ears as Shadis said mankind had not a single moment to waste.

Two more instructors had arrived with the Chief Instructor that morning. They had been introduced to the hastily dressed and assembled trainees in his welcoming address.

Dolf Fabian, a weathered face with steely eyes and cropped dark hair. He held a serious look on his face.

Sabine Maxine, the sole female instructor, taller than all of the girls present in the trainees. She had a small face, straight shiny black hair parting from the middle stopping just above her collar and a neutral expression like Alois.

Their entire staff consisted of instructors Alois Veit, Sabine Maxine and Dolf Fabian under Chief Instructor Shadis. Whether they stayed or not do to teach would be decided by the amount of trainees passing the initial test.

While Sabine and Dolf had disappeared somewhere with Shadis for the required paperwork for all the recruits and the leave applications they knew were coming, Alois was left with the 104th batch of trainees.

"I'm sorry for this, but you do know the things you used for sleeping won't just pick them up, right?" Alois' voice sounded over the teens conversing in the ground, each having found their circles.

Lionel stopped reasoning why Shadis was a prick for no reason with Armin when they heard Alois and went their own ways to gather their things.

The night before Lionel had used his bag as a pillow and covered himself with his cloak after changing into more comfortable clothes. His things were left just they had been in the morning; on the hall's floor.

Lionel briefly wondered if sleeping like that had been the cause of his poor slumber.

There wasn't much to do for him as he simply folded his cloak and stuffed it inside his duffel bag. He then clicked a small lock between the hoops of the two zips as a security measure.

Seeing as he was done, he helped some other guys fold the sheets Alois gave them for the night before.

Taking a crumpled cloth in his hand, the teen made the two ends of it meet and whipped it in the air with a flourish, and then folded it methodically, awing the other hopeless males.

"Man, you're really helpful, could you...?" Lionel sighed as he just decided to gather all the sheets and spared the guys from making further excuses.

He was piling them up after having neatly folded them all when Armin came in with Eren and Mikasa and helped him carry them to the storage shed.

"Thanks guys." He expressed his gratitude, only for Eren to wave it off.

"What are friends for?" The brunette shrugged. _Friends_. Lionel felt a feeling of warmth bubble up inside him. He had friends.

He was about to reply when Keith's inhumanly loud voice interrupted.

"All of you! Get your asses here right now!" At once they set off, half-walking, half-running to assemble in front of their Chief Instructor.

Keith was supervising the other instructors readying the balancing apparatus for the 3DMG located near the right boundary of the canyon. The recruits lined up behind his turned back, quickly filling the area.

They cringed as Keith shouted at them to get their lines straight once he turned and saw their sorry state. When they had been queued orderly enough, Shadis took a deep breath and began to explain.

"What you see behind you are machines designed to test your natural sense of balance. All you have to do is manage staying upright. This the bottom of the bottom, where your training begins.

This test will determine whether you are capable of handling the 3D Gear or not; the greatest weapon mankind has created to fight against the Titans.

Your instructors will brief you in how strap yourself in, but I suggest you actually learn from watching the person in front of you and save their time." He finished with a dangerous tone.

There were five lines and five apparatuses. Everyone stepped forward, was given an explanation only on asking after the first few recruits and tried to hang upright for a half a minute or so under grumpy Shadis' watchful eyes.

The first trainee to be strapped in was given a loud enough explanation by the instructors so that even the people standing at the front of the rows could hear them.

They all then strapped themselves in accordingly, lifted up by the instructors. After they had been tested, they would help raise the next trainee up by turning the handle in the instructors' stead.

After the first few people, they began to move at a smoother pace.

Lionel watched Mikasa's graceful posture in awe. A yell caught his attention and he turned around to see Eren falling on his head. He pushed himself up in agitation only to be awkwardly suspended in the ropes.

"How many tries has it been?" he asked Armin who was standing to his right in the other line.

"I lost count." The blond exhaled, scratching his head. Eren had been hitting his head on the ground for a quite a while, but his stubbornness was endless.

"Let me try one more time! Please!" Eren pleaded to Shadis.

"Move it you worthless shit! I don't have all day. You! Get your sorry self here!" He boomed, and pointed to Lionel. The boy muttered a silent apology to Eren before he strapped himself in.

Eren turned the metallic handle once Lionel was all strapped in and ready. Slowly, he was lifted up until only his toes were on the ground, and then completely up.

Lionel felt himself about to roll backwards as his centre of gravity shifted but he spread his arms like he had seen Mikasa do and brought his swaying feet together and held his breath.

He looked forward and suddenly got wobbly seeing all the trainees looking at him but managed to align himself just fine. After hanging for twenty seconds or so, Shadis deemed him satisfactory.

"Damn, how did you do it? Any hint?" Eren asked as Lionel came to relieve him and life the next volunteer but the stubborn boy still stood near him.

"I just tried not to move too much." Lionel said. Eren stared in frustration as another person managed to balance himself.

The day progressed as the trainees took turns on the hanging apparatus.

After everyone was done, Eren approached Alois and was given permission to practice all he wanted, as long as he didn't damage the equipment.

"Thanks a lot!" Eren had said.

"I _will_ take care of you if something happens. But I'm sure that won't be the case, _right_?" Alois had replied.

Now, Lionel sat with Armin on the rocky ground illuminated by the reddish evening sun as Mikasa helped Eren.

"Eren." Lionel advised. "Don't flail about, just try to be still." Eren just gritted his teeth as the upper half of his body swung to and fro.

Earlier, Lionel and Armin had tried to hold Eren straight and then let him go and balance himself when they were sure his posture was correct.

"I was sure that he had gotten the hang of it." Armin said, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Lionel sat next to him and hugged his knees after Mikasa refused to switch with him.

"I could have sworn as well Armin, but I doubt the Chief Instructor will appreciate us helping. It is useless unless he can do it by himself." Armin couldn't help but agree with Lionel's statement.

"Say Armin, why are joining the military?" Lionel asked, bored of watching Eren fail.

"Eh? I don't know. Guess I want to be useful. Why are you joining?"

"Me? I am the same I guess. I want to use my life for something good. And I like adventure. Every climbed a bell tower?" Lionel asked nonchalantly, enjoying the shocked look on Armin's face.

"Don't tell me you've actually climbed one!" Lionel chuckled.

"It was last year, and my Aunt grounded me for a month when she found out about it. It was winter and the townspeople decided to perform maintenance..." Armin listened to his story with great interest. Lionel was quite the monkey from the way he reached the top of the tower.

"Too bad I could see my Uncle's clothing shop from where I was standing and it just so happened that they could see me as well-" Armin laughed and Lionel formed a thin line with his lips but cracked a smile. The sight of his Uncle had almost made him pee himself back then.

"AAAH!" Eren yelled as he tumbled down, hitting his head on a rock.

"Eren! Are you alright?" Mikasa rushed towards him joined by Lionel and Armin a few moments later. Eren's head was bleeding and the skin was swollen at the point of contact.

Mikasa tried to carry him to the infirmary but he was still conscious and chose to walk, supported by Mikasa and Lionel on each side as Armin lead the way to the medical building.

Instructor Sabine was having some black tea in a chipped china cup when the wooden door was opened by a blond and followed by threesome of two boys and one girl.

Seeing his bleeding head but conscious state, he was immediately seated on a round wooden stool.

"I had a feeling you would end up coming here." Sabine said as she wiped Eren's forehead with a wet cloth, clearing the blood.

"Did you manage to do enough to pass though? I forbid you from further practice." She ordered as she rolled a white bandage around the injury. Eren's frown deepened.

When they arrived at the main hall in the dusk, Lionel was surprised at the number of people there. They had decreased a lot. In a way it was convenient, as they weren't over crowded anymore.

"What happened?" he said softly.

"They got scared and left." A boy replied to Lionel. He had straight light brown hair and a cadet cut.

"Was it our Chief Instructor?"

"And his talk of Titans. But mostly Shadis." The boy replied. Their banter was cut short by the appearance of Alois.

"Yesterday's cooks have already left?" He noticed that only two of the girls which had cooked yesterday were present.

"Does someone know how to cook a decent meal?" Alois asked them. There wasn't much response.

"Well, it's never too late to learn." With that, he efficiently tasked the boys to do the baking and the girls to do the cooking.

Lionel found himself kneading dough for the bread with boy he had talked to before.

"Looks like we have to do everything by ourselves. Man, this sucks." The boy muttered. "I'm not cut out for this crap."

"You might as well not eat it if you don't want to help." Lionel coughed slightly and then quickly looked away. The words had left his mouth before he knew it.

"It would be great if I could only help with the eating." The boy plainly spoke his mind. Lionel just kept quiet and concentrated on twisting the mixture of flour, water and salt.

"Lionel." He introduced.

"Jean." The other boy said, smirking. He just roughly clumped and fisted the dough to get the job done after seeing Lionel was finished.

"Hope I don't end up eating my masterpieces." Jean joked as they placed them on metal trays and carried them to the metal oven.

The dough was handed over to two people in charge of the oven, a one a muscular blond and the other tall with black hair.

"Good job guys- hey who made this pile of crap?" The blond, called Reiner pointed to Jean's dough. Lionel silently pointed toward the culprit.

"I don't know." Jean answered, trying to feign innocent.

"Just give them to me." The one with the dark hair said.

"You don't have to do it, Bernholdt."

"He'll end up wasting precious food Reiner." Bernholdt said. Jean just put his tray on the ground and walked away. Lionel frowned and helped Bernholdt squeeze the loaves into proper shape.

"Hey, what's your name?" Reiner asked.

"Lionel." He replied.

"I see. You're both alike aren't you, Bernholdt and you. Everything has to be in order."

"Neatness and Reiner don't fit in the same sentence." Lionel thought the exchange between the older boys was funny. Reiner laughed sheepishly and retorted that he was neat where it mattered.

The oven was made of bricks and joined together with walls in the corner of the kitchen and had a small tunnel surround the edges where the walls of the room met for the heat and smoke to escape from the fire beneath.

Reiner added pieces of wood to the flame to pre-heat it as Bernholdt set the loaves on the tray and sliced them methodically to aid in baking. Meanwhile the girls cooked potato curry with some green chillies.

Perhaps it was the fact that it was the fruit of their own hard work, but dinner was unusually delicious that night.

Lionel and the others were joined by a new guest on their table, the potato girl from morning; Sasha Blouse. Someone had taken pity and finally did the sensible thinking for her. It was humanly impossible to keep running from morning to night without any food.

Their instructors were nowhere in sight, probably eating themselves since Alois had come, taken away meals for four people and no one could object to the kind, small, blond called Krista Lenz.

Four pair of eyes watched the sweaty and hungry girl shove food down her throat and could only wonder. Halfway through his meal, Mikasa felt someone looking at her. Everyone felt the same sensation.

Sasha was done and now eyeing others.

"You're quite the glutton. I used to think all girls were careful of what they ate, even though we barely have enough for everyone." Lionel said. A look from Armin made him think he might have said something rude.

"Ehehe, dieting is for stupid." Food that Lionel couldn't see must have been dancing in front of Sasha's eyes, for she was salivating.

"Wipe your mouth." Eren voiced his uneasiness. Sasha took one look at his serious face and checked herself.

"Ehehe! Sorry, guess I was daydreaming." She said. She continued looking at their food hungrily.

Mikasa tore a bit of bread and held it in front of her own face. Sasha thought she was being offered something and reached for it but Mikasa moved it towards her mouth. The three boys struggled to hide their laughter at Sasha's face full of despair; she could have lost a family member.

Just before it touched her lips, Mikasa stopped and shifted her eyes towards Sasha.  
"D-Does this mean-" her hopes were dashed to the ground when Mikasa popped it her mouth.

At this point Armin began staring onto his tray, Eren turned his face away and Lionel covered his mouth with his hand.

Sasha looked ready to burst in tears but Mikasa tore a slightly bigger piece from her bread and held it out to her, this time for real.

"My goddess!" Sasha leaped but Mikasa held her back by squashing her face with her hand.

"Take it, otherwise I'll eat it." Mikasa said flatly. Sasha made sure to chew slowly this time and savour the feeling of food in her mouth. Mikasa's cold attitude was forgotten the moment the morsel entered her mouth.

Quarter of an hour later, Alois walked in. Sasha was cruelly forced under the table by Mikasa.

"If you're done then collect your dishes. Carry them to the back of the kitchen." Alois instructed.

There was a small door in the kitchen, which lead outside where a large, metal basin containing water and a few rags were present.

Everyone carefully piled their dishes there carefully. The only light came from the open kitchen door, where they had lit lanterns. The moon was absent that night.

The people who had helped in the kitchen were let off by Veit as he commanded the others to clean the utensils they had used carefully.

Everyone's opinion of Alois went up when he himself crouched on the ground and tidied up the dishes used by his colleagues.

"Focus." His voice snapped the others back to work instead of looking at him, except Sasha, too busy scavenging leftovers.

"I suggest you get used to this routine, I shouldn't have to tell who's supposed to what the next time, clear?" Alois asked as he got up, done with his work.

"Yes sir!" they said in unison except some who just nodded and some who didn't bother to respond.

The clock struck 10 PM, lights out time. Since their numbers had dwindled, everyone was given a room in the dorms.

The dorms for the boys and girls were identical. They were two-storey structures with equal rooms on each floor, a porch on the ground and a small terrace above. Each room had single, big window in the back of the building on the ground while towards the terrace above.

Inside, a small corridor divided into many doors leading to rooms while there was a staircase in the extreme right leading above.

The rooms were small and cosy with a wooden floor while the roof was supported by using logs as beams.

There were four bunk beds placed in the four corners of the room. Each bed had a thin mattress and white sheet covering it with a small white pillow on it.

The door opened right to show a window opposite to it on the wall ahead. The remaining space in the form of a plus was enough to move around.

"Make sure to keep it down, the instructors' rooms are on the upper floor." Alois added with a smirk, much to the shock of the boys he beckoned to come with him after sorting the others below.

Armin, Eren and Lionel had gotten the room furthest from the staircase on the ground floor with others. Besides them, Lionel also recognized Reiner and Bernholdt. There were three others he didn't know, but Reiner made things easier by breaking the ice.

"Let's all introduce ourselves, shall we? I'm Reiner Braun." He said with a warm smile.

"And I'm Bernholdt Fubar." He decided to help his blond friend.

"Eren Jaeger."

"Armin Arlelt."

"Lionel Sorenson."

"Charles Weiss." He was about as tall as Lionel, medium built, had long black hair which covered his neck and forehead, quite handsome and his voice was smooth.

"Jonas Hertwig." He had a childish face, a small but solid frame and dark brown hair. He was the only one to wear glasses and had a cleft chin.

"Fritz Heinz." He had dark brown hair, a slight tan, and dark blue eyes. He was tall and hunched slightly, compared to Reiner and Bernholdt, who held themselves straight.

"Well, we have a big day tomorrow so how about getting some shut-eye?" Reiner suggested. He could tell they weren't going to become friends just by staying in the same room yet.

Lionel took out a pair of black pyjamas from his bag and was about to exit when he heard Eren call out.

"Where are you going?"

"Ah, to change?" Lionel said rhetorically, his hand on the door's handle. He turned and saw everyone's surprised faces but blushed and turned away for another reason entirely.

"Hey," Eren said as he pulled a comfortable green shirt over his head and took the sheet from his bed and tied it around his waist.

"We're all guys, what's there to be embarrassed about?" He pulled up his beige trousers above his legs and tossed the sheet off.

"As if I'm supposed to know that!" Lionel blurted out, his hands covering his eyes. He was taking well to seeing other peoples' bodies for the first time.

"Look, even Armin has done it." Eren said, pointing towards him. Armin just smiled wryly, being used as an example.

Lionel just stood still, trying not to move until everyone was finished dressing.

"Look, I'll turn the light out. You can change then, okay?" Reiner comforted. Lionel nodded.

Everyone else took their beds, Armin and Eren, Fritz and Jonas, the bed beneath Bernholdt empty for Reiner. Charles silently climbed up the one he and Lionel would use.

Reiner then turned off the light and with some difficulty, Lionel managed to get changed.

His sleeping attire was a plain round-necked shirt and trousers so it didn't matter which way he wore them as long as he got his head and limbs out of the proper holes.

"Good night!" he bade as he climbed into bed. Somebody chuckled while Charles above him just said, "Are you a kid?"

"Force of habit." Lionel answered and closed his eyes. Charles just shrugged and pulled the light cotton covers over his head.

* * *

'This is it.' Eren gulped, nervous but determined. The swelling on his forehead had receded and he had taken off the bandages in the morning.

Sweat irritated his wound hidden behind his bangs but he didn't bother to scratch it and strapped himself in quickly.

In front of him stood the trainees who were going to stay, the real 104th Trainee Squad. Mikasa looked at him with warm eyes, a look that said _You Can Do It_ and Armin smiled. His new friend Lionel gave him thumbs up.

And Eren was going to become one of them by proving himself right now as Keith ordered for him to be lifted.

Soon his feet were off the ground and he flailed about, trying to balance. '_No damn it! Stay still!_' Eren thought.

He spread out his arms evenly, slammed his feet together and held his back and shoulders rigid, aligning himself. Eren became completely still, his body stiff. He began to sweat all over, and soon tension began to build up along his spine, shoulder blades and torso.

But his body gave in and he fell, unable to keep his balance any longer. '_Damn it, I can't fail, I can't afford to!_' How could it be over before it began? Eren lifted his head and looked at Shadis's unreadable face.

"Bring me your belt Jaeger." He commanded to his great surprise. Eren unstrapped himself quickly, a small hope building up inside him.

Eren unhooked and took off the belt and handed it to the Chief Instructor.

'Strange...this is unusual.'

"Wagner! Switch belts with Eren." He said to the nearest trainee. "I don't know how, but his gear is defective."

'_What!?_' The word ran through Lionel's mind. '_He managed to balance himself using faulty equipment. Amazing..._'

Relief washed over Eren and his friends as he was given another chance. Their fellow trainee Thomas Wagner switched belts with Eren.

His turquoise eyes lighting up with delight, Eren managed to easily balance himself easily now that his muscles weren't experiencing unnecessary strain. He looked at his Chief Instructor, who nodded approvingly.

"All right you runts! Now that the last of you has made it, training will commence!"

* * *

How was it? Tell me what you think by reviewing. Your comments motivate me and help me write further. Same goes for all us writers on this site, I think. Sorry for it being so lengthy yet not accomplishing much plot-wise.


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